The 2025 World Series has come down to a thrilling Game 7, as the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers face off for the championship. The Dodgers evened the series with a victory in Game 6 on Friday, setting the stage for the decisive best-of-seven showdown — the first World Series Game 7 since 2019.
Los Angeles is aiming to secure back-to-back championships for the first time since the New York Yankees’ famous run from 1998 to 2000. Meanwhile, Toronto is chasing its first title since consecutive wins in 1992 and 1993.
Historically, teams holding a 3-2 series lead — like the Blue Jays held earlier in this series — have gone on to win the championship roughly 70% of the time. This sets up a high-stakes finale with plenty of pressure on both sides.
A standout performer for Toronto this postseason has been relief pitcher Louis Varland. Varland set a new MLB record for the most postseason appearances in a single year with his 15th outing on Saturday, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The 27-year-old reliever entered the game in the top of the fifth inning to relieve starter Max Scherzer. Over 0.2 innings, Varland faced some of the Dodgers’ top hitters. Though he allowed a hit to Shohei Ohtani, he kept him off base by retiring Will Smith and Freddie Freeman on pop-ups.
In total, across 15 relief appearances this postseason, Varland has allowed seven runs in 16.1 innings while striking out 17 batters. Since being traded from the Minnesota Twins to Toronto this season, he has become a critical bullpen option under Blue Jays manager John Schneider.
During the 2025 regular season, Varland appeared in 74 games, compiling a 4-3 record with a 2.97 ERA. He struck out 75 batters and walked 22 across 72.2 innings pitched, finishing with an impressive 1.20 WHIP. Notably, Varland did not make any starts during the season but contributed solely from the bullpen in all 74 appearances.
A native of Minnesota, Varland played baseball at North High School in North St. Paul and at Concordia University, St. Paul. The Twins drafted him in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2022 and has since steadily risen to become a key reliever on the biggest stages.
As Game 7 looms, all eyes will be on performers like Varland as Toronto and Los Angeles battle to claim the 2025 World Series crown.
https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-louis-varland-world-series-history-15th-appearance
